Spirited away
by Mage-Alia
Summary: COMPLETED! Okay this is my gundam wing version of spirited away. I know it sucks but hey, I think it will get better soon enough....I hope. 12 with a little bit of 34 on the side
1. Moving Day

(A/N) Okay nothing from Spirited away or Gundam wing belong to me although I really wish they did.  
  
Warnings for this story include minor language, (Well it can be if you consider 'Fuck' as minor) and maybe a little bit of violence farther on in the story.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 1: Moving day.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo Maxwell lay across the back seat of the car amid the clutter of his possessions. He and his parents, Solo and Helen Maxwell, were moving to a house on the outskirts of the city, but still far enough away so that Duo wouldn't see his friends anymore. Duo was still sulking. He hadn't wanted to leave his friends, but Solo had given him no choice.  
  
"Hey I must have missed the turn off." Solo said from behind the steering wheel as he peered over it to where the tar and asphalt ended. "Maybe you should turn back Solo." Helen said in concern. "Nah, I'm sure it just a short cut or something. Where's your sense of adventure?" Solo ignored Helen and Duo as the disgruntled braided by looked out the window giving an exasperated sigh, quite frankly he couldn't care less.  
  
"Oh you can see our new house from here!" Helen exclaimed, "Look Duo, it's the blue one on the end of that row." Duo gave it a half hearted glance as the car began to move again. The swept a casual glance over the ground and sat up properly, interest flickering through his bored expression. "Hey mom. What are those things down there that look like little houses?" Helen looked out the window and smiled slightly. "Those are shrines Duo, people leave offerings for the spirits there and some even say that the fairy's live inside them."  
  
They soon left the shrines behind as Solo began to drive faster down the forest trail, the trees flashed past as Duo was thrown out of his seat and on to the floor. He clutched at the window and pulled himself up in time to see an old statue that resembled a monkey wizz by. Then Duo began to feel an unmistakable sense of dread.  
  
All of a sudden Solo slammed on the breaks and the car screeched to a stop just in time to avoid hitting a statue that stood in the middle of the road before a red building that looked old and scary with a foreboding tunnel that reached through the dark depths into the unknown. "HEY! WATCH IT!" Duo shouted indignantly as he tumbled out of the car after finding the door handle. Getting up he slammed it shut and moved away, brushing the dust off his butt from when he fell.  
  
"Oh Duo, it wasn't that bad, just get back in the car so we can be on our way." Helen and Solo had followed Duo's example and had gotten out of the car. Solo had approached the red building. "Well would you look at that." He said with genuine surprise. "It's part of an old theme park! Lets go look inside!" excitement was evident in his tone. Duo looked at that tunnel and his sense of dread grew a little more.  
  
"I don't think we should be going in there dad." He started but his father paid him no heed. "Nonsense, I'm sure no one will mind if we go have a little look around, it's not like anyone's there to see." He approached the tunnel, as did Helen. Duo looked around, looking for anything that might convince them to come back. He really didn't have a good feeling about this.  
  
By then it was to late, Duo's parents had disappeared into the tunnel's inky blackness. Gulping back his uneasiness Duo took a breath and charged in after them. Duo found them on the other side. The tunnel came out into a long abandoned train station. The dust was thick on the windows and wooden benches. "Well who would have thought all this would be here?" Helen breathed as she stepped through the archway out into the light. Duo was much slower in following his parents outside.  
  
Beyond the arch was a green field. There was grass for miles and the horizon was broken only by statues that lined a kind of path leading the way to a place invisible behind the hills. "We should have brought our lunch here and had a picnic." Duo heard his mother say just before his father shouted. "Hey you two, there's a town on the other side of this hill." Helen raced up beside her husband but Duo hesitated. He looked back at the entry way to the tunnel before he finally stepped outside. "Wait up dad!" Duo shouted and began to run, his braid slapping his back with almost every step.  
  
His parents however didn't wait, They crossed the dry river bed and had climbed the stairs into the town. Duo, despite being 15, was short for his age and had a bit more difficulty getting across the dry stones. Jogging up to his parents he caught his fathers words. "Hey it's almost like the whole town is deserted." He commented and Duo looked around, the glance confirming his father's observations. "Yes," replied his mother, "but what is that delicious smell?" Solo put his nose into the air and took a deep breath. "Yes, there must be a restaurant open around here somewhere." He commented and took off farther into the town, following his nose to the source.  
  
They ran up a few sets of stairs and walked almost to the other side of the town before they found what they where looking for. "Hey here it is!" Solo walked down a side street to where piles of food sat waiting for anyone or anything to eat them. Solo and Helen sat down looking delighted. "It smells so wonderful and looks so good." Helen beamed at everything around her. Solo, meanwhile, was calling out for someone to come. "Hello! Hello? Anyone here?" he gave up a moment later. "Oh well I suppose we can just eat now and pay them when they get round to seeing us." He pulled a plate toward him and piled it with food.  
  
"Duo you should really try this." Helen shoved a pork roll into her mouth whole. "It's really good." Duo gave it a queasy look and backed away. Despite the fact that he was hungry this just didn't seem right. "No way mom, I'm not gonna touch that stuff, there's something wrong with all this." Solo shrugged. "Suit yourself." He replied and went on eating.  
  
Duo shook his head sadly and walked back into the main street. "There has got to be something interesting around here." He said in frustration and set off up another set of stairs. Half way up he heard the noise of a train. 'If there's a train there must be people nearby.' Duo thought and began to run the rest of the way up the stairs. He stopped in the courtyard at the top to look around. To his right was a huge bath house that stood separate from the town over a large bridge.  
  
"TOOOOOOT...TOOOOOOOOT"  
  
The toot of the train honking it's horn sounded again nearby and Duo ran for the bridge, hoping to see it. By now he was getting totally creped out by the lack of noise and people. Hanging over the railing Duo spotted an old train Trundling along it's tracks far below.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A harsh voice to Duo's left announced the presence of someone new. He span around in surprise to see another teen standing a few feet away. Duo met the boy's eye's and all time seemed to slow for a moment as he took in the sight. The other teen had messy chocolate coloured hair that fell over his deep captivating Prussian blue eyes. A simple white tunic, shorts and sandals were all that covered his slim body. Duo was rendered unable to reply, practically drooling. "There's no time." The teen proclaimed, "you have to get back to the human side of the river before nightfall, HURRY!" He pushed Duo off the bridge, while Duo, now alert to his surroundings, was asking why. "There's no time to explain, Run." With one final shove Duo finally decided to co-operate and took off toward the restaurant where he'd left his mother and father. Behind him and unseen by the fleeing braided teen, the other span around and blew across his palm sending a spell mixed with cherry blossom petals back onto the bridge. "Damn," he muttered when he turned again. "they're already turning on the lanterns."  
  
Meanwhile Duo had found his parents, except they had turned into something very unexpected. He'd found pigs, in their place at the restaurants table. Duo had spare them a half disgusted, half regretful look before he began to retrace his path back to the dried up river bed he'd first crossed. As he did though transparent smears of shadow appeared in the streets and buildings, taking on a vague resemblance to the human form.  
  
"This is way to creepy." Duo panted as his took the final set of stairs two and even three at a time. Around him night had fallen dark and cold, just like the tunnel he'd come through to get here. Jumping the last step Duo had expected to find lose rocks when he landed but instead he found himself up to his knees in water. "WHAT THE HELL!?" Duo almost roared in frustration as he leapt backwards out of the now huge river. Looking across he saw light's on the far distant other bank, among the lights Duo spotted the luminescant face of the train station's clock, the place where he'd entered this strange place.  
  
As if all the energy had been sapped out of his body Duo slumped to the steps below him, the cold of the stones seeping through his damp black jeans and boots. "I don't get it. How the fuck did a river suddenly pop up out of nowhere in the last hour or so that I was in the town." This is seriously fucked up!" Duo continued a steady stream of curses that would have made even a sailor blush before he finally got to his feet and began to make his way back toward the bathhouse, wondering what he should do. 'Maybe that guy would help me out.' Duo mused in his thoughts, which where disturbingly calm considering the situation he was in.  
  
Duo was just about to reach the top of the stairs when a noise behind made him look around and see a riverboat docking at the bottom. He watched unmoving as a ramp was lowered and the doors opened, but what came next he wasn't expecting at all. Things that looked like faces painted on half opened scrolls floated out and made there way off the boat, as the disembarked the air beneath them shimmered and long crimson robes appeared.  
  
He could only stare in shock until it dawned on him to get out of the way, they came straight towards him and Duo tried to get out of the way but instead the spirit went right through him. Duo looked at the arm that had gone through and almost screamed. It was transparent as coloured glass. He fell over as he scrambled over the side of the steps and landed on the soft green grass behind one of the restaurants. "This is way to weird." He said looking at his hands as he ran them up and down his body to make sure he was all there.  
  
Reassured that he was in one piece Duo's back slumped and he said to thin air, "What am I going to do now?" He wasn't expecting the answer he got.  
  
"Why don't you come with me?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
So that's the end of the first chapter. I told you it wouldn't be exactly accurate but I think that's a pretty good job. Well at least to my standards.  
  
So Don't forget to read and review.  
  
Cya ^__^ 


	2. The bridge and Heero

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 2: The bridge and Heero.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Why don't you come with me?"  
  
Duo's head snapped up from it's depressed slump only to find his vision blocked by the sight of two deep prussian blue eye's that belonged to none other that the teen he'd met on the bridge. By then Duo knew he was gaping, his mouth was hanging open and his eye's where wide. He forced his mouth to shut with a snap and began to blink dumbly as if he was only just waking up. "Shit you scared me." He said eventually, his normal silly grin finding it's way on to his face.  
  
The other teen's eye's twinkled with hidden mirth but his face stayed blank. "Hey buddy, do you know why I'm see through?" Duo asked. Heero nodded, "Hai, you are like this because you need to eat the food of the spirits or you will disappear like the others and you won't have a chance to save you parents," He noted the uncertain look that had come across Duo's elfin features. "and don't worry, you won't turn into a pig." He took a red pill out of thin air and forced Duo to eat it. A moment later he held out his hand, palm up.  
  
"It's okay now, you're back to normal." He assured Duo and the braided teen reached out tentively to touch it, smiling when he found it solid. Then very suddenly a screech sounded from above and Duo's new friend pressed himself over Duo and held him tight to the wall while he looked toward the sky. Duo found himself quite busy trying to ignore the feeling of having someone so close...  
  
Another Screech rent the air and Duo looked to see an ugly bird with the head of a man circle over their hiding place before it flew off. "What the fuck was that?" The wide eyed Duo asked. "It had a head, a human head!" Heero got up and made to pull Duo to his feet. "That was Relena's spy, it was looking for you Duo, it's no longer safe to be out here." He attempted to bring Duo to his feet but Duo couldn't budge. "Hey I can't move my legs." He said slightly panicked, "and how did you know my name was Duo?" Heero crouched again and move close until his face was barely an inch away. "I've known you for a long time Duo Maxwell, longer than time can count." With that he darted forward, closing the gap and kissing Duo on the lips for a brief and magical moment before backing away and pulling Duo off the ground.  
  
Duo's legs could move again much to his surprise, but he had no time to dwell on how they'd been fixed before the Prussian eyed teen began to run forcing Duo to do so as well in order to keep up. The speed in which they traveled was faster than Duo had ever run in his life. Like the wind they spirited through the alley's behind the many restaurants, one of which Duo knew his parents had fallen victim to. A door clanged open ahead, bring Duo from his thoughts before he could get to depressed. His friend was waving his arm at the doors they had to go through, causing them to open, just until they had passed through before it slammed behind them.  
  
"Hey!" Duo called out to the teen as they ran through a shed full of pigs, "Where are we going?" His answer was quick and to the point. "I'm taking you to the bath house. If you ask for a job Relena can't touch you." Duo fell silent and nodded although he knew the teen wouldn't see him. He began to slow as they got to a garden. Still holding hands the teen unlocked the gate and pulled Duo through. "Okay, the bridge to the bath house has a spell on it that would reveal any breathing thing for what it really is. Hold your breath as you cross and you'll be safe." Duo nodded again as he was instructed to take a breath and they began to cross, Duo holding tightly to the teen's arm.  
  
At half way was a formless, shadow like spirit, with a sad looking mask on its "face". Duo watched it out of the corner of his eye as he passed and noticed its head turn to watch him. Duo almost gasped but held it when he remembered the spell. Then unexpectedly to both Duo and the teen, something came bounding up shouting as it went.  
  
"MASTER HEERO! MASTER HEERO!"  
  
'So his name his Heero." Duo thought when Heero was stopped. A frog leapt up before them shouting and Duo couldn't help it, he gasped. "Hey master Heero, where have you been? Relena has been looking for you for ages and she's going nuts." The frog stopped as he heard a sudden intake of breath and looked to see a teenaged boy hanging off Master Heero's arm. "WHY IS THERE A HUMAN ON YOUR ARM?!" The frog shouted. Heero moved lighting quick and put the frog in a ball of displaced time but the damage was done. Around them the arriving spirits had heard the shout and where calling out as confusion roared up over the bridge.  
  
Heero grabbed Duo's hand again and made a dash for a gate beside the entrance. As they passed the skirts of the female serving spirits blew up. Heero shoved Duo through the gate shutting it behind him and lead the braided teen to the other side of the garden where he pulled him into a crouch. "Oh I screwed up didn't I, I took a breath and they saw me." Duo hid his face behind his knees. Heero lowered himself down to sit before Duo and whispered to him just over the noise of the servants inside looking for him. "Duo you did fine, I'm surprised you could hold your breath for so long, but I can no longer help you now that they are looking for me." Duo looked up it Heero's face, looking to see if he was lying for a joke, but Duo didn't see what he was looking for. Heero had dropped his blank mask and lent forward to kiss Duo.  
  
*"When I leave to distract the people go quickly out the back gate and down the stairs that go from this level all the way down to the ground. When you reach the door marked boiler room got in and talk the boiler man Wufei into giving you work. He will try to deter you, send you away but persist. Understand?" *  
  
Duo heard all this in his mind as long as Heero kissed him. After the message finished Heero broke away with a small smirk at Duo's stunned expression. Duo nodded quickly that he understood as a slight blush spread over his cheeks. Heero got to his feet and went to the nearest door, Duo noticed that the blank mask was once again in place. The mutter of voices slowly drifted away and in the semi stillness of the night Duo got to his feet and crept stealthily for the back gate. The whole time all he could think about was Heero.  
  
~~~~~  
  
So how's that? I know it's a bit short but I need to watch the movie again so I can finish it. I've had to memorize a lot of stuff lately.  
  
Don't forget to review!  
  
Cya ^__^ 


	3. Wufei the boiler spider and Quatre

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 3: Wufei the boiler spider and Quatre.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo stood at the top of the stairs that Heero had instructed him to go down but Duo was very uncertain about how he would go about it. The stair's were much bigger in real life, almost as if they where made for a giant's feet. Duo sat down at the top and slid to the first step. He tried not to look down as he repeated the process until he reached the fifth step when as soon as he put his weight on it the board threatened to snap, Duo lost his balance at the sudden jolt and put his foot out to put it somewhere else in order to steady himself, but all he felt was thin air as his foot misses the step entirely and thumped down to the next one. Duo couldn't keep his balance and was forced to run down to keep himself upright but as he did he got faster and faster until...  
  
SMACK!!  
  
He hit a jutting wall half way down, slamming into it with his face. Behind him the sound of a window being opened shook him out of his daze and with little harpies swimming in his vision he slid around the corner of the wall. He caught a glimpse of a smoking frog leaning out of what sounded like a kitchen. Duo 'eeped' quietly as he crept to the next lot of stairs, rubbing his nose. Duo didn't fall or stumble once as he went the rest of the way. Jumping down the last three stairs he arrived at a door marked 'Boiler room', just as Heero had told him he would. Now he was getting a bit apprehensive as he opened the door and slid inside.  
  
Jet's of steam hissed out from cracks in the boiler's and Duo almost jumped in fright as a long stream of boiling water filled the air in front of him. He made his way toward the rectangle of light that marked the entry to his destination. The light of the boiler fires flickered and the crash of metal on metal sounded regularly. As he reached the door Duo looked around the frame only to stare in shock. "That's no boiler man!" He swore to himself, "It's a fucking spider!" Then seemingly randomly the spider stretched out one long arm grabbed a small mallet and proceeded to wrap out a tattoo on the side of his workbench. Duo jumped at the sound but found his mouth falling open as tiny black balls of fuzz suddenly emerged from the mouse hole like gaps around the edges of the wooden floor.  
  
Each held a huge clump of coal above it's head as they sidestepped out to ward where the boiler clanked open and shut, letting loose a burst of heat and light every time. Duo could only watch as one by one they threw their burdens into the flames. Gathering what nerve he had Duo stepped out from behind the doorframe and quickly and quietly hopped over the soot balls to stand on the other side of the little moving river of coal dust. He kept his eye on Wufei as he did, watching as the spider reached down blindly with one hand to grab a kettle and drink deeply from it before the hand returned to it's work. The spider picked up the mallet again and tapped the bench causing the soot balls to finish what they where doing and race back to the holes they lived in  
  
Duo opened his mouth and spoke for the first time. "Uh hello, my name is Duo Maxwell, I was told to come and see you about getting work." At the first syllable Wufei had almost jumped out of his skin, he hadn't even heard the boy enter. He looked around quickly as the teen finished speaking and was confused while he worked out what he was looking at. The slightly scrawny black clad figure had a long chestnut colored braid and wide violet eyes that stared up at him from behind his bangs. To Wufei he looked like a girl at first glance, but on closer inspection he looked male indefinitely. "Go away!" Wufei burst out, still a little shocked at how the human had crept in without him noticing. "There's no work for you here." He turned his back on Duo, leaving the teen standing there slightly dumb struck.  
  
Wufei banged the mallet again and the little soot balls poured forth from the hole, All of them bore a chunk of coal. One of them caught Duo's attention when it suddenly dropped it's load on tip of its self, The soot ball's little legs flailed wildly and Duo couldn't help but giggle, he lifted the chunk of coal easily in one hand and peered down as the smudge, before his eyes it suddenly reformed into the soot ball and just as quickly took off back into it's hole. "Hey you forgot this you know." He said indignantly to the hole. When none of the soot balls came back to get it Duo sighed and lobbed the coal toward the boiler. Wufei could only watch as it arced through the air and landed neatly in the flames only a moment before the hatch of the boiler clanked shut once again.  
  
The other soot balls, having seen this began to crowd around Duo's feet all clamoring to have him throw theirs as well but Wufei, almost choking at the display his little creations where putting up, banged the mallet on his bench and sent them all back to their holes. He turned back to his work, cursing as more tokens fell before his eyes. The door to one side then began to slide open Duo gave it one cautious look before he dived for cover behind Wufei's bench. A blonde worker entered the room. "Wufei, how many times do I have to tell you to leave out your bowl." Wufei grumbled and one hand went over Duo's head to retrieve and empty dish. It was replaced a moment later by a full one.  
  
The worker then walked around the bench, chatting all the while as he began to feed the soot balls little candy stars. They hopped around excitedly gathering as many as they could. Suddenly as if her had sensed Duo's presence the blonde looked up to see Duo leaning against Wufei's bench. "Oh Allah!" he exclaimed "Wufei, you are going to be in real big trouble if they find you've been harboring a human down here, they've been looking for him everywhere!" Wufei looked down at Duo momentarily before he started to eat. "Quatre, he's my grandson." He grunted between mouthfuls, "he's a half demon and he was looking for work." Quatre rolled his eye's, "Oh really. You just wait until Relena finds him." Wufei suddenly reached around blindly to dangle a roasted lizard in the blonde's face. "I'll give you this." He waved the bribe around his head, "Fresh roasted nuute."  
  
Quatre eyed the lizard and suddenly snatched it out of the air. "Okay fine!" Quatre said in a huff. "You there, come with me." He said to Duo and turned toward the door. Duo went after him, shedding his black sneakers and socks as he went. Quatre was waiting for him outside. "Hey, say thank you to Wufei!" He said indignantly, "He's really sticking his neck out for you!" Duo sighed, rolling his eye's he turned around. "Thankie you Wuffers!" He crowed playfully. Wufei's head came round to glare at him as he waved a fist, "THE NAME'S WUFEI!" Duo laughed, his eye's shining the turned around to see Quatre stifling a giggle. The blonde regained his composure and walked off toward the lifts. Duo looked up and saw that they were in a shaft that looked like it stretched all the way to the top of the building. Getting into one of the lifts Quatre shouted out, "ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT?" Duo looked at him for a second and ran as fast as he could to catch up.  
  
Quatre pulled the lever just as Duo tripped in, Duo lent with his hands against the support bars looking at the wall rushing past his face, slightly in shock. "Do you want to loose your nose?" Quatre asked dryly. Duo darted upright, catching sight of a steamy room before the wood flashed into existence again. Regaining his balance Duo noticed that the lift was slowing and finally coming to a stop. "This is as high as the thing will go," Quatre said as Duo looked up at him. "We'll have to take another one to get to the top and that means going through the bathhouse so stay as close to me." The door's slid open and before they could get out a huge lumpy spirit blocked their path. It pointed upwards with what looked like a hand and mumbled a bit.  
  
Quatre put on a smile and quickly pushed Duo behind him. "Oh it's the Radish spirit. I'm sorry but this elevator doesn't go any farther so you'll have to use the other one on the other side of the bath house." He hustled around and made for the next elevator with Duo right on his heels. Duo looked back and saw that the Radish spirit had begun to lumber after them. "Yo, Quat, the radish dude's following us." Quatre didn't turn around. "Just don't look at it and stick close, okay." Duo shrugged to himself and followed. They were fine until they got to the next lift which suddenly opened and out of it came a frog, leading a bunch of customers. Quatre shoved Duo behind him and twisted so he stayed between the frog and the 'semi human'. The radish spirit lumbered past them and Duo slipped into the elevator behind him, almost getting squashed in the process.  
  
Meanwhile Quatre redirected the frog's attention. "Ah Quatre where have you been? There's work to be done and..." He trailed off and began to sniff the air. Quatre's eyes almost glowed as he pulled the roasted lizard out of his basket and dangled it before the frog as he shouted to Duo. "If you want to go up just pull the lever on your left." The Radish spirit nodded and Duo squeezed up beside him to pull the lever. 'Thank Shinigami I'm so short.' Duo thought to himself.  
  
He waited as the lift slid silently to the next floor and it's doors opened to reveal a long hall. Rice paper screens hid the relaxing spirits from sight, forming a corridor of shadows. The Radish spirit reached out and pulled the lever again causing the doors to slide closed. Soon enough the lift reached the very top floor. Duo slid past the Radish spirit and bowed to it before it disappeared behind the sliding doors. Duo looked around at his surroundings. He stood in a short hallway, only a few lanterns lit the gloom from sconces in the wall at regular intervals.  
  
Across from him was a large door made of wood and ornately carved with a mix of Chinese and Japanese symbols. Duo's curiosity pulled him toward the handles, but just as he was about to place a hand on them a wizened voice yelled from somewhere bellow. "DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?" Duo almost jumped out of his skin as the hushed atmosphere was broken. He looked around for a person but as he did he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. He bent to the eye level of the door knocker shaped as an old hag just as it spoke again. "WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING, FOR COME IN!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Well it's all done for now and Duo hasn't seen terror until he meet's what's behind that door!  
  
Look out for the next chapter and don't forget to review!  
  
Cya ^__^ 


	4. Already taken

(A/N - Hey I've decided to branch off a bit from the original story a bit. When Relena goes to take Duo's name she'll find that it's already been claimed by someone else... Hey if I tell you any more it wouldn't be a surprise!)  
  
Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 4: Already taken  
  
~~~~~  
  
"WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING, FOR COME IN!" The voice from the doorknocker yelled at Duo. He looked at the door nervously, getting the feeling that it wasn't a good idea to have come here in the first place. He was about to reach for the door handle when all the door's slammed open and some force hooked the front of his shirt. "I SAID COME IN!" the voice roared and Duo was picked up and hurtled along the corridor at break neck speed, behind him he faintly heard the doors behind him shut. "Shit!" He exclaimed as he was thrown around a corner, his feet narrowly missing the corner of the ornate sideboard. A light rimmed door rushed into view.  
  
He was thrown through it and the invisible hook released him from its grip sending him flying. Lightning quick Duo twisted and rolled once before he came up in a crouch, scanning his surroundings unconsciously.  
  
It was pink...  
  
Everything was covered in the awful ...bright...color. Pink armchairs, a pink fireplace, pink walls, pink floor, pink curtains, pink rugs, even pink flames for God's sake! Duo felt like he was going to hurl violently when three heads bounced up and surrounded him. One looked slightly Asian with a mop of pink hair that had been tied into two braids, the second had wire- rimmed glasses and it's brown hair in two bun's but it was the last head that scared Duo most. It's cropped white-blonde hair looked as if it had been longer at one point, bright blue eye's assessed him coldly from under the weirdest pointy eyebrows that the braided teen had ever seen, he shuddered slightly.  
  
"So you are the putrid human that's been running around." The voice from the doorknocker commented. Duo looked away from the heads to see one of the most horrifying sights he'd ever come across. Behind a pink desk sat a wrinkling woman, she was staring at him with a disturbing twinkle in her eyes. //Ugghh Kill it// was the first thought that ran through Duo's head, lucky for him this wasn't the thing that came out of his mouth, unlucky for him what did instead. "Whoa, who spilt the pink dye because I'm seriously considering hunting them down and making sure they stop breathing permanently."  
  
Behind the desk the hag bristled in anger, hair sneaking out of the topknot on her head. "Why you insolent...little." she started, Duo snorted and began to laugh, making the woman madder, if it was possible. "Do you know who I am!" she hissed coming around the desk. "Nope not really," Duo said as he got an eyeful of wrinkled skin that poked out from the tight and way too skimpy dress she wore. "I was just told to come and ask for work." Relena suddenly halted. "No...No!" she hissed angrily, "Don't ask me that." Duo was confused, "What? Don't ask for work?" he queried rather loudly. "So... are ya gonna give me work or what?"  
  
Suddenly there was a crash behind one of the pink curtains and something began to shout. Relena looked horrified. "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She screeched, "YOU'VE GONE AND WOKE THE BABY!" She practically flew towards the curtain and threw it open only to get a face full of foot as the fleshy appendage smacked into her. "Whoa, that's one big baby." Duo muttered to himself as Relena wrestled it back into the room beyond. "Now, now Hilde, GET BACK RIGHT NOW OR I'LL BURN YOU TO A CRISP!" The pink banshee threatened, "Now that's just child abuse." Duo shook his head as screams for some one to help echoed around the room. "Now Hilde, don't try to escape! You are my prisoner for trying to take Heero, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Duo edged away from the door apprehensively when Relena made that declaration.  
  
A few seconds later, a piece of pink paper and a gaudy pink fluffy pen, floated through the air toward Duo. They settled down on the floor in front of him when he refused to touch them. "That's your contract." Relena's high pitched voice floated back to him, "Sign it and you will officially be working for me." Duo pulled his own purple pen out of his pocket and moving carefully, as not to touch the disgusting paper, signed his name, Duo Maxwell. As he finished the last 'L' Relena reemerged picking chunks of wood out of her hair, and it floated back to her. She sniffed disapprovingly when she noticed the purple ink, she held her hand over the paper and it glowed as it tried to pull Duo's name off the pink sheet. To her surprise it didn't come.  
  
She sent a sharp glare at Duo. "Sign your real name fool!" she screeched. Duo couldn't help but grin at how worked up she was. "Hey! That is my real name." He protested indignantly. Relena huffed, "It can't be, if it was I would already be able to control you." Duo raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "And that means...what exactly?" he asked, still lost. "It means," Relena snapped, "that someone has taken your real name already." Duo smirked, "Awww, what a pity." He said sarcastically. Relena's glare intensified. "It doesn't matter." Relena purred frighteningly, "I'll just have to take something else from you then."  
  
Duo didn't like the sound of that. Relena raised a hand and waved it, making a motion as if to pull something out of him. Duo felt a pain in his throat and went to his knees gasping. He looked to see a bottle appear in Relena's hands, filled with violet light. He opened his mouth to ask what the hell had happened but when he did no sound came out. Relena saw this and began to giggle evilly at the almost terrified expression on the braided teen's face. She moved over to the wall where a rope hung and rang a bell. "Well then Duo Maxwell, if I can't take your name then I'll take your voice!" She cackled loudly as Heero entered the room. His eye's flashed over to the shocked Duo as Relena addressed him.  
  
"Oh Heero!" She crowed in a sickly sweet voice. "Would you be so bold as to escort this little vermin down to the foreman so he can be assigned to go to work." Heero glared at her but grunted as he turned to Duo. "What is your name?" He asked in a carefully controlled monotone. Duo got to his feet and looked at him sadly as Relena burst out laughing again. "Oh his name is still Duo, although he wouldn't be able to tell you that because 'I' took his voice." She bragged. A flicker of emotion ran through Heero's expression to quick to be identified as he lead Duo out of the pink chamber and into the bath house below.  
  
~~~~~  
  
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! POOR DUO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  
  
Well there you go, chapter four is finished. I hope it's not too short.  
  
Don't forget to review!  
  
Cya ^__^ 


	5. Meet me in the garden

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 5: Meet me in the garden.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo followed dejectedly as Heero lead him away from the pink lair. He couldn't believe that she'd had the gall to take his voice, of all the things she could have done and she takes the one thing that could charm him out of trouble any day. Heero turned his head to the side slightly to look back at Duo as he turned down another staircase. "I'm sorry Duo." He whispered finally. "I didn't know she would take your voice when I lead you here." Duo looked up at him and smiled sadly. Shaking his head he returned his gaze to the floor as they entered the workers quarters. The serving spirits and frogs all gathered around to watch them as they made their way down to the bottom where the foreman sat at a large desk working on schedules and lists for the next day. More than once Duo heard comments about his smell, ahead of him Heero merely glared at all of them.  
  
They reached the bottom and the foreman looked up. "What is a human doing down here?" He asked rudely. Heero glared at him and the frog cowered. "Duo has been sent down here to work. You do have a place for him, don't you?" Heero's voice sounded dangerous even to Duo, who had until now, only really seen a gentler side to the other teen. "Y...yes Master Heero." The frog stuttered out. "Ah, Quatre was just asking for an assistant this morning." A voice spoke up from the side of the room and Duo turned to look at the blonde. "Oh so you dump the human on me." He grumbled. Heero raised an eyebrow at the comment and Quatre sighed. "Oh well, come on kid." He said in exasperation beckoning to Duo.  
  
"What's your name?" he asked offhandedly. Duo looked at him once then looked to the ground. "His name is Duo, the same as it was when he came here." Heero answered for Duo. "Relena has taken his voice instead of his name." There where gasps from all around the room as they looked down on the silent black clad teen. Quatre's hard mask threatened to slip into one of sympathy before he suddenly shook himself mentally and sighed. "Well come on kid." He said. When he walked away this time Duo followed, making no noise as he padded like a ghost. Behind them Heero turned around and left, glaring at the spirits that strayed across his path.  
  
Out in the hallway Quatre turned to Duo once more. "You made it!" He put on a happy face for Duo's benefit. "You made it past Relena in one piece...although it's a pity about your voice..." Duo shook his head and put his finger to his lips. //Don't remind me about that// Quatre's head shot up in a flash to look at Duo and found him grinning wickedly in spite of himself. "Wha...what did you just say?" Duo opened his mouth in a silent giggle and twirled on the spot once, his eye's shining. //Ya know what Q- ball? I think Wufei was right// Quatre lowered his voice to reply. "About what?" Duo's grin turned to a smirk. //I'm not all the human people thought I was//  
  
Quatre couldn't help but laugh.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The bathhouse was quiet in the early hours of the morning while the spirit's and worker's slept. In the male sleeping quarters Duo slept between Quatre and the wall. It had been the only place left for him after everyone else had gone to bed. The occasional cough and snort broke the silence, but beyond the small sounds there was the slightest of noises, creeping across the mats and futon's toward the corner where Duo slept. Always a light sleeper Duo awoke when a weight settled down beside him on his mat.  
  
He turned over quickly only to find Heero kneeling beside him and leaning forward so his face was hovering inches away. Heero quickly leaned down and kissed him and Duo heard Heero's voice in his mind like he had the other night. */Meet me on the other side of the bridge as soon as you can./* in a moment Heero was gone and Duo was alone, staring up at the ceiling blankly. He reached up a hand to his lips, in the excitement and panic of the night before he'd never questioned Heero having done that before. It made him wonder if it was really necessary for him to do that to get the message across. Shaking his head Duo slipped out of his blankets and dressed in the uniform Quatre had given him before they'd gone to bed. Apparently his black clothes had been taken and burned. Duo sighed silently at the lost, he'd been given that outfit for his birthday from one of his friends and it was his favorite. Tying the string on his loose shirt Duo slipped out of the room, leaving no trace that he'd passed at all.  
  
~~~~~  
  
In the dim light of early morning the stairs up the side of the bathhouse on longer looked so big. Duo climbed them easily and slipped out the gate he'd come through the first time. The area around the bathhouse was empty. Duo didn't doubt that everyone was sleeping like the workers. Duo moved across the bridge slowly at first, his bare feet making soft thuds. Mid way across the bridge was the sad looking spirit that had been there the night before. It watched him cross the bridge before it slowly faded from sight. Duo turned his gaze outwards and easily found Heero sanding by the garden gate they'd come through. "Duo!" he called. The braided boy padded over to him and stopped beside the taller teen.  
  
His face asked the questions for him as Heero grabbed his hand. //Where are we going?// Duo's mind voice flashed through Heero's mind the moment the contact was made with his skin. Heero jumped visibly and turned around to put his face right in Duo's. "How did you do that?" he asked suddenly, a light of what seemed like hope shining in his prussian blue depths. Duo was taken aback by the sudden eagerness Heero was showing. //I just can...// Duo thought back to him, //I've been able to do it since I was a kid.// Heero looked thoughtful for a moment before he tugged on Duo's hand and they set off again.  
  
They passed through a maze like garden, its walls made of tall bushes, covered in flowers and fruit. Heero lead the way, keeping hold of Duo's hand even when he was forced to walk ahead when the path closed in. The path opened out on a hill and Heero lead him down to the sheds at the foot of the grassy mound. "These are the sheds where Relena keeps all the pigs before they are eaten." He pushed him gently to a pen and Duo peered inside to see two pigs sleeping soundly. "These are the people known as Solo and Helen Maxwell, your parents Duo." Duo's gaze never left the pigs as his mind whirled. //My parents? Oh god I'd almost forgotten them!// He pulled himself over the fence and crouched down beside the two huge animals. He lay a hand on one of them and it flicked its ear, but made no move other than that.  
  
"And incase your wondering, they're sleeping heavily due to how much they ate last night, and I don't think that Relena will try to use them just yet." Duo felt hot tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. He stood and moved toward the fence. Vaulting over he disappeared outside into the garden. Heero sighed mentally and followed him. He found the braided teen sitting on the hill looking up into the early morning sky. He sat down beside him and reached a hand into one of his pockets, bringing out a large bundle of folded black cloth. He held it out to Duo.  
  
"Here," he said as he put it in the other teen's hands. "I found your clothes for you last night. I guessed you would miss them." Duo took them numbly, looked up at Heero's face then on a sudden impulse flung his arms around the blue-eyed teen, sobbing into his waist. Heero was stunned to say the least; no one had ever even dared to hug him before... except for... It wasn't the time to think about that though. Heero returned the embrace gingerly, petting Duo's hair until he finally settled down. Meanwhile in the confines of his mind Duo was confused. /'Why the hell am I doing this?'/ he was asking himself, /'Boys don't cry and I'm crying, and on someone I just met to boot!'/ For some reason Duo was beginning to find that he didn't mind being so venerable toward Heero. Something inside him was drawing him to the other teen, telling him that he was someone he could trust in spite of how he tried to act; this person would never break his heart.  
  
Then out of the blue it hit him. In the last twenty-four hours, since he had first seen Heero on the bridge, Duo had fallen for him faster than a stone in deep water. He'd gone and fallen in love.  
  
...Damn.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Well that's the end of that chapter. I think I've figured out how to get rid of some of the problems in my writing so you people should find that it's in a better format later. Hopefully.  
  
Don't forget to review.  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	6. Frog work, Nanashi and a friend of the f...

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 6: Frog work, Nanashi and a friend of the family.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Wufei was woken in the early hours of the morning by a noise that wasn't a sound he usually heard in the boiler room. As he reached for his kettle and began to drink Wufei noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye and choked. Duo lay on the far side of the wooden platform, curled around a bundle of black cloth, sleeping and dead to the world as he randomly thought something about minions. Wufei shook his head as he heard the sleepy ramblings and reached out with two long arms to grab the cushion on the floor and lay it over the braided mute. He felt sorry for the boy that Relena had had to take his voice away from him. That was an all-new low for the pink money-grabbing banshee.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Later that morning Duo helped Quatre put away the sleeping mats in their room. "Where were you Duo?" The blonde asked as Duo passed him another blanket. "I couldn't find you anywhere this morning and I was really worried." Duo just shrugged, his mind was silent. He didn't want to tell anyone about his meeting with Heero or what had happened on the hill. Quatre didn't push Duo into telling; he knew the braided teen was keeping something from him. Quatre lead Duo out to the main area of the bathhouse and joined a bunch of other cleaners who were washing the wooden floors. Duo copied Quatre's movements as he raced with the others in the room with practiced ease. Duo was slightly slower as he moved across the room but soon caught on and charged into the task, finishing his work before even Quatre.  
  
Other cleaners where putting out cushions around the fire pits when a frog approached Quatre and Duo. "HEY! QUATRE!" he yelled before he got close, "You've got the big tub today so get to work." Duo looked at Quatre's face and saw outrage glimmering in his aqua marine blue eyes. "WHAT? But sir that's frog work!" Quatre argued. The frog shrugged, he could care less. "Tough luck, these orders come right from the top so just get down there and start cleaning." Quatre huffed at being brushed off and stormed out of the room, only taking the time to glare sharply at Duo when the braided teen fell over, holding his stomach as he rolled in the floor, gasping violently with silent laughter.  
  
When they reached the big tub Duo almost regretted laughing... almost being the key word. Grass and remains from past guests littered the floor and the tub was caked with mould and slime. "Uggghhh, yuck." Quatre complained, irritated. "This tub is usually left for the more... healthy guests. Frogs usually clean it but I think the banshee just wants to be spiteful toward you." Duo shrugged and moved forward into the mess, taking the broom he'd been given off his shoulder he put it to the floor and began to scrub off the waste. //"Then the best way to get up her nose is to clean it up and do a damn good job at it too."// Quatre thought for a moment before a grin slipped over his face. "Alright then, lets get to work."  
  
~~~~~  
  
It began to rain just as night was falling. The heavy torrents of water thundered down on the roof of the bathhouse, echoing in the wide halls and rattling the glass in the windows. Duo was emptying a container of water into the garden when the sentinel spirit that had been on the bridge suddenly made itself known with a whisper. /"Will you let me in?"/ Duo looked up startled to see the half clown's mask on the face of a man about Quatre's age. //"Whoa! Are you the spirit from the bridge?"// Duo asked to make sure. He nodded, /"I was bound to guard it by Relena, My friend Quatre lets me in sometimes."/ Duo's eyebrows raised. //"Then would you wait a second? I'll go get him then."// the spirit nodded and Duo skipped off. He found Quatre standing in the tub trying to scrub the walls.  
  
//"Q-ball."// Duo's mind voice crooned to him. //"There's this spirit thingy that turned into a human at the side entrance and he says you let him in sometimes, who is he?"// Quatre's eyes lit up at the description. "Oh that's Trowa! He used to be known as Nanashi but I thought that was kinda sad so I named him." Duo backed off a little as Quatre went into a happy place and wondered off toward the door where Trowa was waiting. Duo shook his head and finished scrubbing the tub before climbing out and sitting on the edge to watch the other frogs and servers as they all rushed around outside and settled in to wait for someone to give him something else to do. Hell, was he bored!  
  
~~~~~  
  
Relena was sitting at her pink desk trying to finish painting her nail's fairy floss pink. She'd just received the bottle from the human world that morning and hadn't had time to try it out yet. Now her fingernail's shone with the glossy color. Relena sighed, "If only Heero would stop playing hard to get and admit he loves me." She scowled before she remembered that frowning gave her wrinkles and smiled again. "Well, I already killed that guy that liked him, what was he again?" The three heads on the floor rolled about nervously and the one with the freaky eyebrows answered. "I do believe he was the son of Shinigami." Relena almost frowned again at the name, "Oh yes, I hope that the old coot isn't so mad about loosing his son. I don't see why he's so mad... his whelp was an obstacle between me and my Heero so naturally he had to go."  
  
Out of her range of sight the head with the pink braids gagged crossing its eyes, the head with the glasses fell forward into the carpet to muffle giggles. The head with the eyebrows frowned at Relena, "Did you ever maybe think that Yuy doesn't like you?" Relena snapped a glare on her almost instantly. "Don't even mention such a thing again Dorothy!" Relena cried in outrage. "Heero loves me and only me, he's just playing hard to get that's all." She turned her nose into the air and pretended to ignore them. "Yeah right," the huge baby looked in a pen to one side of the room scoffed. "If I hadn't been delivering that love note from Heero to my master you wouldn't have turned me into this. It one screwed up piece of witchcraft if you ask me, you didn't even get the height right." Relena turned her glare to the behemoth infant. "And you could do better?" She snapped.  
  
Hilde laughed at her shrewdly then stopped as a smell floated to her nostrils on a foul wind. "Ugh Relena! Did you try I cook again or something, jeeze!" Relena's face crumpled as the smell reached her. "What the hell is that?" She asked, running to the open window and looking out. A large slimy mass rose up above the roof tops of the town below as it made its painfully slow progress toward the bathhouse. "Oh Damn it, it's a stink spirit." She cursed, her once beautiful face wrinkled further as she got peeved. She ran back to her desk and grabbed a fluffy pink toy teddy bear off the pink wood and began to speak into it. "What the hell is going on down there?" She yelled. In the background Hilde was laughing herself sick.  
  
"Well, there's a stink spirit coming right for the bath house and it's not going to turn away." Relena growled. "Okay get all the other guests back to their rooms and let that spirit get in and out as fast as possible and send that new human worker, Duo I think his name was, to meet me at the front doors." She hung up and left the room.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo was ready to fall asleep by the time someone finally came for him. A frog poked his head around the doorway only gaping for a moment at the spotless tub before he called out to the teen sitting on the rim. "Hey! Duo, Relena wants you at the front entrance on the double!" Duo looked up at him and slid off the rim, Making his was to the front entrance he noticed the other workers sending the other guests away and wondered what the hell was going on. As he got closer to the front entrance a strange feeling entered his head. Relena was waiting for him, looking very tense. "Good there you are, There a customer coming to the bath house and it's your job to take care of it so just get it in give it a bath and get it out as fast as possible.  
  
Duo sorely wished he had a voice to taunt her with but at that moment the customer arrived and it took all of Duo's will power not to cover his nose. The feeling in the back of his head grew as it stopped before him and held out gold coins that Relena hungrily prompted him to take, but as he came into contact with the sludge and jolt of power ran through him. //"You are not what you seem."// Duo's mind voice claimed immediately. A second voice from amid the slime chuckled as Duo lead him through the bathhouse. //'Yes young one, I am indeed more than I appear at this moment. Although usually I would not come to this place it was necessary to find you.'// Now Duo was confused, //"Me?"// he asked.  
  
The great mass bobbed its 'head' as Duo swiped a bath token like the one Quatre had shown him earlier that day. When they reached the big tub the spirit slid inside it and looked back at Duo who had moved to the side to send the water token to Wufei. A moment later the water chute slid down. Duo climbed up and pulled the handle to start the water but at the last second he slipped and fell. A mental shout was the only thing heard as he plunged into the water but the spirit in the tub picked him up with a chuckle. //'Still as clumsy as ever, shi.'// he held up the boy to his side. Duo shook the water out of his face and looked at the spirit only to see what looked like a thorn in the spirit's side. He grasped it and tried to pull but the thing remained stuck.  
  
Far above the struggling Duo Relena was looking at the scene in the big tub with a critical eye. "Something is not right here." She muttered to herself as the blonde man Quatre finally appeared to help the new teen. Then something happened that startled everyone it the bathhouse. Quatre opened his mouth and yelled.  
  
"DUO SAYS THERE'S SOMETHING STUCK IN THE SPIRIT'S SIDE!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Well that it for this chapter, I know a few things might have been strange to some people but hey, I'm twisted and so are the worlds I write about.  
  
Oh yeah and I suppose you've already guessed why Quatre went into his happy place and who exactly Relena was talking about with Hilde and the heads, though if you don't understand you'll have to wait until the next chapter is up to find out, heeheeheeheeheehee.  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	7. Heero's return and meeting Hilde

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 7: Heero's return and meeting Hilde.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"DUO SAYS THERE'S SOMETHING STUCK IN THE SPIRIT'S SIDE!"  
  
The simple sentence Quatre yelled confused Relena beyond belief until she realized something, if the spirit had something inside it, then it might not be a real stink spirit. She hurled herself over the railing of the balcony she was on and flew down to where Quatre was tugging the object with Duo. Relena produced a rope as the scent of gold stung her nostrils, this spirit was filthy rich. "Quick you workers!" She yelled at those watching as she produced a rope. "Get down here now and help!" She threw the rope to Quatre but Duo caught it. Careful not to look at the floating mass of wrinkles in the skintight dress, Duo set about tying the rope.  
  
Spirits took the other end and on Relena's greedy promptings they heaved until the junk inside the spirit came loose. Bicycles, shopping trolleys and much more human rubbish covered in slim lay on the floor, then the water from the overflowing bath began to wash away the dirt to reveal sparkles of gold, the spirit had left them nuggets of the precious metal. "By Allah!" Quatre exclaimed from where he stood, he'd been forced to move back to the big tub area's entrance by the junk. "It's gold!" as he said this spirits began to try and push past him. "Stop it you fools." Relena hissed irritably, "Our guest hasn't left yet and you are going to be giving the gold to me anyway." They protested briefly but then became quiet.  
  
Duo had fallen back into the tub once all the junk had been pulled away and now a wizened head poked out of the water. //'Well you did a very good job, Shi.'// The dragon spirit shook his head and the hair that had been plastered there was flung out into a mushroom shape, a long crooked nose poked through a gap in its hair. //'I'll have to leave now but I leave a gift for you in parting. Something for your parents and something I have been holding until you returned to collect it.'// The dragon smiled at him and gave a freaky laugh before it burst out of the water and through the doors that Relena had hastily made the servants open. She waved him off then sped for the gold, getting it all before so much as a speck could be taken as a tip. Duo stood ignored by the tub holding a strange ball of what smelt like herbs and a small cross that dangled from a thin silver chain.  
  
It sparkled in the light that reflected off the water left in the tub. Duo stood entranced until Relena, on a gold high, flew over and glomped onto him, causing his breath to escape him completely. "You've made me rich." The blonde banshee hissed to him, "That was the great dragon spirit of the river 'G' he's rich and powerful and will most certainly come back!" She hopped away from Duo, never noticing the cross hanging from his limp hand, but as she passed Quatre on his way to Duo she stopped and called out to him. "Quatre? Just how exactly did Duo tell you that the spirit had something in its side?" Quatre did well not to betray his emotions as he lied at smoothly as possible. "He was making signs at me through the water." His eye never wavered even as Trowa walked over. Relena searched his mind briefly but didn't see the lie. She nodded to him and walked away.  
  
Quatre heaved a sigh of relief as he walked over to Duo who was stuffing a chain down the front of his shirt. Quatre paid it no heed and went right up to the soaking braided teen. "That was brilliant Duo!" Quatre exclaimed and hugged him, although not as tightly as Relena had, "Everyone will be celebrating tonight, Relena said that she's going to let all the workers have Sake, not that you can drink any though." Duo smiled wryly and shook his head. //"I won't drink that stuff anyway, Alcohol only kills you faster."// The blonde worker laughed and lead Duo back to the workers quarters, Trowa following silently behind.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo woke the next morning after having a dream about running down to the pig pens to give the medicine from the river spirit to them, only to find that he couldn't remember which one's they were. The dream disturbed the braided teen and he had to shake it off as he rose to full consciousness and sat up. The room was empty save for Duo. The braided teen wondered where everyone had gone as he pulled on his shirt and apron. He stepped into the hall and looked out the windows on the other side of the corridor. 'What time is it?' the stray thought ran through Duo's half sleep clouded mind. 'Why didn't Quatre wake me up if Wufei has already lit the boiler?' Duo opened the sliding doors to the balcony and stared absently at the sky for a long moment before he realized the scene playing out before his eyes. A white scaled dragon with silver and dark blue fur was flying through the air twisting this way and that as it tried desperately to avoid the small white birds that chased it.  
  
Duo looked closer as the dragon dove for the water and noticed red smudges along its sides that could only be blood. Duo's eyes clouded as a memory from the deepest part of his mind struggled to the surface. //"HEERO!"// Even in his own mind the voice was desperate as he called franticly to the wounded dragon. Somehow through the haze of pain Heero turned himself toward the braided boy and plunged toward the bathhouse. Duo jumped to one side as Heero hurtled into the sleeping room behind him and scrambled to shut the doors on the little white birds, then he noticed instead that they where in fact... paper.  
  
'Who would send paper birds after Heero?' Duo thought only briefly as the white objects slammed against the half closed door. Duo watched as the ones that had made it in began to loose their power until they began to float back out into the sky. Duo watched them go, unaware that a ripped paper bird was attached to his back as he remembered Heero. He span around to see the workers sleeping quarters a complete mess, Heero lay coiled in the middle of it all coughing up blood and quite unable to change back to his human form. //"Heero..."// Duo's mind voice moaned hopelessly as he ran to capture the dragon's head. He held it for only a moment before something happened. Violet energy began to radiate from Duo's chest and the dragon jolted out of Duo's grasp to look at him. Something deep in his eyes shined with a sudden awareness that would have shocked Duo if it hadn't been what he'd wanted to achieve.  
  
Then just as suddenly something else seemed to take hold of the spirit and Heero thrashed as an invisible something tried to pulled him away from Duo and in the end it succeeded. Heero was forced to fly as he spat up more blood and moved tipsily upward toward the one place he didn't want to go.  
  
Relena's office.  
  
Behind him Duo watched him fly before he caught a flash of pink in the air. Duo suddenly didn't need his voice as in his mind a feral growl radiated out to everyone in the bathhouse. Under his shirt the cross glowed hot, Duo ignored it at the anger passed, but a sense of urgency took its place instantly. Some instinct was yelling at him to find Heero at any cost. In a flash Duo was no longer standing in the hall, and as he ducked around the spirits in the bathhouse all anyone could see was a magenta colored blur with a tail of brown flying out behind it.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Duo would have growled in frustration if he'd had his voice. He'd decided to avoid the rest of the workers after meeting up with Quatre. Apparently he'd been the one to let him sleep in after what he'd done yesterday, but Quatre had also known that Duo was to blame for the growling in the workers head's that had convinced them that the whole building was possessed. He'd been scolding Duo for barely a few seconds when the teenager had rushed past him and up a set of stairs, startling spirits and workers alike. Now Duo was standing on a roof outside a window. He looked around for any way up the metal walls and almost instantly found a ladder, but to reach it he'd have to climb out over a pipe that hardly would have supported his weight if he were any bigger than he was. Not for the first time he thanked god for it.  
  
'Now, lets hope I'm not rusty on my skills.' Duo thought to himself as he tied up his sleeves and the legs of his pants. With that done he took a deep breath and began to run. Skipping over the pipe he was still to heavy and it began to come away from the wall. Duo ran harder and wrapped himself around the ladder as the end of the pipe fell to point to the deep water below. Duo let out a breath he'd been holding and began to climb, he was almost at the top too when he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. Duo looked around and almost let go when he saw the ugliest, gaudiest pink bird he'd ever seen. Then he realized that it was heading for the bathhouse when he saw the vulture like harpy man underneath it. 'Shit! Relena!' Duo climbed as fast as he could and pressed himself into a window frame as the two bird people flew past.  
  
Duo sighed silently and went about inspecting the stained glass window. It was a simple hook lock, no problem for the master thief he was. A piece of wire from his braid later he was in. It turned out that he'd chosen to enter via the bathroom window in what he could only assume was Relena's private apartments. A huge tub stood in one corner and Duo wondered why in hell would Relena need something that size, //"Duh! The baby!"// Duo smacked his head and went to the door. Looking out he found himself in some kind of nursery. The walls were padded and a few cushions and threadbare blankets lay around in disarray among broken toys. As Duo ventured further in he heard someone grumbling.  
  
"God Dammit! Why can't she just die already and let me out of here!" Duo span to find a gigantic toddler smacking the padded wall relentlessly as it grumbled in an endless litany. "First I get caught playing messenger and now when the master finally comes back he doesn't remember a thing and I can't do anything about it for Shinigami's damn sake! Well at least the damn banshee hasn't figured it all out yet..." Hilde trailed off as she swore she heard someone laugh. She turned as fast as her chubby body would let her and gaped at the sight of the person behind her, grinning like a maniac. //"You must be Hilde."// The girl turned toddler gaped. //"That was one spectacular kick you gave the pink witch on the night I got here."// Hilde shook off her shock and gave him a baby like smirk. "Well I try my best but I won't feel better until I can try stomping on her." Duo's eyes twinkled with mirth before he began to panic as a tug in the region of his heart reminded him of Heero. He crossed the room swiftly toward a second door and listened.  
  
"Oh no Heero! What happened to you oh how I wish I could help you but I know my love will get you through." There was a roar of protest. "Now, now Heero, that's just the pain talking." There was a knock at the door. "WHO IS IT?" Relena yelled, sounding seriously pissed. A quivering voice answered when the door opened. "Oh, Miss Relena, the boy you told us to watch, Duo, he's... missing..." He trailed off in fear. "WHAT!?" Duo would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. "I TOLD YOU TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE LITTLE REINCARNATED HELL SPAWN!" Duo felt the blood drain from his face. "We we're, but he just... vanished..." Relena raved and a door slammed as she stormed out to look for Duo herself.  
  
There was a soft thud behind him and Duo span around. "Don't be alarmed Shi, I swore a long time ago that I would see Relena's downfall and if she's that angry about you going missing like that she must be afraid of you." The cornered animal look in Duo's eye's faded, until he focused on the noise in the room beyond again. Three new voices where speaking.  
  
"Why don't we just get rid of him while she's not here?" A snide female voice said faintly.  
  
"Why should we? Relena hasn't realized the boy is up here yet so why don't he just hand him over?" A second voice said calmly, a hint of an Asian accent in her voice.  
  
"How did you know?" Hilde said coming out, Duo cautiously in tow. The pink haired head would have shrugged if she'd had shoulders.  
  
"Who can mistake an aura like that?" No one said anything after that though as Duo let out a silent cry and rushed to where Heero lay, struggling to breathe. 'Hee-chan, don't fall asleep now, I don't want you to die, not yet...' Duo and said it soundlessly but... wasn't that his own voice he was hearing behind him? He quickly settled Heero's head back down and turned around singing the rudest song he knew. Sure enough his voice echoed it audibly and Hilde laughed. Duo traced it to a bottle on the shelf behind the pink desk. It glowed bright purple as he got near it. Jumping a little Duo grabbed hold of it and the violet light inside was echoed by a flash from his cross and the bottle dissolved, the violet light streaming into his throat.  
  
Duo coughed for a moment before his voice cleared and Duo looked up smiling. "I can't believe it took almost loosing it to make me appreciate how cool my voice is." Hilde snorted while The scary eyebrows of Dorothy raised delicately. "I find it more of an annoyance Mister Maxwell." The blonde 'head' said haughtily. Duo glared at her but jumped when another voice spoke behind him. "Don't make me have him drop kick you through a window Dorothy." They all turned to find a man with pale platinum hair and blue eyes that shone with hidden power.  
  
"Hello." He said pleasantly, "My name is Zechs, I am Relena's brother and I've come for the dragon, so please be kind enough to hand him over."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Ohhh, long chappie! Well I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter too, I thinkies that I'll leave it as a itty bitty cliffhanger. :P  
  
Don't forget to review!  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	8. Zechs

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 8: Zechs.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Hello." He said pleasantly, "My name is Zechs, I am Relena's brother and I've come for the dragon, so please be kind enough to hand him over." Stared at him as though he'd grown an extra head.  
  
"What do you want with him?" Duo asked harshly, glaring a little at the see through man. Zechs tutted under his breath.  
  
"Don't argue with me boy. I don't know why you're protecting the thief. He stole something of mine, a gold monogram seal, and I want it back." He looked over the room's other occupants and waved a finger idly at Hilde and the harpy who stood on the back of a chair. They both became human, or would have been if it weren't for the leathery bat wings on their back. "Eugh," Zechs said distastefully. "My sister hasn't improved with magic much, has she." He turned his blue gaze back on Duo. "Besides, it would help you to notice boy, that my seal has a spell on it, the dragon won't live to see another day anyway." Duo was beginning to see red.  
  
"Hey listen here!" He all but yelled, "You won't take Heero from me and I won't loose him a second time to anyone from your family." He wasn't aware of the stunned stares he was getting from everyone else in the room, and of the fact that he was glowing violet. "Can't the seal just be returned or something?" Weariness was reflected in his voice suddenly as the power vanished and Duo turned back to Heero, stunned to hear himself say something like that off the top of his head. The dragon awoke suddenly and he snapped his tail over the kneeling Duo to split the white paper bird that had been the source of Zechs' image. The man merely sighed as he himself split and began to fade.  
  
"Ohhh, paper cut." He said amused before he vanished. The heads, Duo, Hilde and the strange ginger haired man who had been the harpy all looked at each other. "Well..." Hilde began, checking her old body before she got to her feet. "That was strange." She went over to a cupboard and began to rummage around looking for something. The former harpy nodded in agreement. "Very." He said and looked around as if seeing the room for the first time. Duo was stroking Heero's head lightly as he spoke, his voice filled with a strained tone that echoed the pained expression on his face. "How are we going to get him out of here?" He asked, making the room's occupants look at him. "We can't just take him out through the bath house. Relena will stop us and try to take him if we did that. He can't fly either. Whatever's inside him is eating him away and it hurts."  
  
Hilde turned away from the cupboard with two swords in her hands, as well as a few daggers that she slipped out of sight. "We could always send him down the chute that Relena uses to get rid of the spirits she doesn't like." The heads looked at her. "And how do you suppose they get out of there?" Dorothy drawled. Hilde rolled her eyes. "Duh! Heero should be able to wake up long enough to change direction. If he's careful he can go directly to Wufei in the boiler room." Dorothy raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know that?" Hilde scowled, "I just do!" she huffed and turned away, throwing the extra sword to the man who caught I and attached it to his belt, the black uniform he wore had been on him when he'd changed, the same went for Hilde. Although, she had a white shirt and a violet vest.  
  
Then there was a noise in the corridor outside that made their blood freeze. Relena was returning! Faster than the eye could see Hilde had run to the fireplace and pulled up the rug before it to reveal a trapdoor. Treize, the former harpy helped her and within seconds a black hole was visible. "Get down here, quick!" Hilde hissed and the heads', along with Duo, pushed the unconscious dragon over the edge. Duo held fast to Heero's neck as the air roared past them. The braided boy's stomach turned disturbingly as they fell further into the blackness. The frantic beating of Hilde and Treize's wings sounded behind them as they followed and the light was cut from about as the heads' pushed the trap door over the hole.  
  
Duo could see the tunnel widening out beneath them, leading to a pit of black shadows that resembled the spirits that had come before them. "Heero." Duo moved so he was closer to Heero's head, clutching one of his horns. A feeling of De'ja vu passed through him at the contact, like a memory that was trying to push its way to the front of his mind. Duo shook it off as fast as it had come trying to get Heero to wake. "Come on! Heero wake up!" Then the light was back from above and a voice screeched above.  
  
"HEERO!"  
  
Duo shuddered at the wail and Heero's eye's snapped open. At the close contact Duo could hear the rambled thoughts that fought in Heero's mind, but in the moment after Relena's shout one thought became very clear. //Getherawayfromme!// Duo had to hold on for dear life as Heero changed directions and hurtled down a large pipe that protruded from the wall. Duo squeezed his eyes shut as he and Heero crashed into the fan that covered the other end and fell to the floor of Wufei's boiler room. The spider-like spirit jumped and began to curse as Heero writhed against the walls before he fell to the floor and into Duo's arms.  
  
Before Wufei could ask what was going on Hilde and Treize crashed to the floor. Landing on the remains of the fan. "What is going on here?" Wufei asked as Duo began to rummage in a pocket, "Why is Yuy down here like this?" Hilde and Treize didn't speak and Wufei was shocked when Duo spoke up. "Heero apparently stole something from Relena's brother, it's killing him from the inside and I don't know how to stop it." Wufei gaped, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Zechs?" Wufei asked incredulously. Treize nodded in confirmation. "I think he reversed Relena's magic on us."  
  
Before Wufei could speak Heero started to gag. When they looked Duo was pulling his arm out of the dragon's mouth and the dragon was spewing up black blood. As they watched the blood was gathered into the shape of a slug, like a little evil spirit sitting on a small golden seal. "Quick! Step in that bug!" Wufei yelled. Duo obeyed quickly and plunged forward, scooping up the Zechs' seal as he went. The slug raced around with none of the slowness of the creature it resembled. It tried to hide in the holes that the soot balls lived in but they blocked the way and screamed in their tiny voices. A moment later Duo finally caught up with it and it was flattened to a smear under his foot.  
  
A Shiver ran through his body, as Duo sensed a part of Relena's essence in the little evil creature. "Quickly now!" Wufei was shouting again. "Hold your forefingers and thumbs together!" Duo did so and Wufei reached out a hand to chop through and part his fingers saying 'evil spirit be gone!' right after it was done Heero began to change back to human, his body changing until the messy haired teen lay there instead, his once white tunic and shorts bloodstained and torn. "Heero!" Duo cried out and rushed to kneel beside him. His face was pale as he clutched Heero's hand. "He's bleeding from the inside Duo." Wufei said quietly, moving down from the place he worked and slept. Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's unconscious form and held on to him. "I know." He whispered. Wufei moved away and went to mix something, when he returned he handed Duo a cup. "Give him that, it will help with the internal bleeding." Duo fought off tears and did as he was told, only when Heero was wrapped up in blankets on Wufei's sleeping mat did the braided teen remember the two bat-winged guards and that Relena would be out for his blood.  
  
"We have to do something soon." Duo addressed Hilde, "The only way I can think of is to go to Zechs and return the seal so he can lift the curse on Heero. But I don't know how to find him, or how I get there once I do." Wufei had been listening and as Hilde protested he went to a corner of the room and opened a draw. "I can tell you where Zech's lives." He said as he returned, Hilde and Duo stopped arguing. "And I can get you there, but I can't get you back." He handed Duo three train tickets, all of which where very rarely seen in the bathhouse. "I saved up for forty years to get these, but I have no reason to use them, so I'll give them to you. Zechs lives in swamp bottom, six stops away from the bath house." Duo accepted the tickets and nodded, repeating the instructions for getting there.  
  
"I can just walk back along the tracks to get back. I've had to do that before once." Hilde raised an eyebrow. "Ahem! We're going with you mister. We can fly back instead." Duo rolled his eyes, "Alright come then." Duo then looked down at his magenta colored uniform. "But I'm soooo not going to go out in public wearing this!" He ignored Hilde's sudden giggles he stood and went to where the soot balls had gathered at the step. "Hey ya guys! Would ya get my shoes and clothes please?" The black smudges chirped excitedly and raced into their mouse holes. Returning with Duo's old black garments from their hiding place. Duo grinned at took them, changing quickly he kissed Heero on the forehead and was about to leave when the door opened and Quatre's head popped in.  
  
"What the hell is going on Duo? Relena is tearing apart the bath house looking for you!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Well that's it for this chapter; hope you enjoyed it, although it might be a bit on the short side. Look out for the next chapter. Duo's going to get his memory back!  
  
Don't forget to review!  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	9. Once upon a time in the realm of death

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 9: Once upon a time in the realm of death.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"What the hell is going on Duo? Relena is tearing apart the bath house looking for you!"  
  
Quatre then did a double take, looking around the room to see the two winged guardians, a black clad Duo, an unconscious Heero and bloody walls. "Allah!" he gasped, "What happened here?" Hilde dragged him inside and slammed the door, planting her body in the entrance. "Quatre!" Duo cried, effectively stunning the blonde. "You... Your voice..." Duo waved a hand, "No time for that, I need you and Wufei to watch over Heero while I go and see Zechs..." Quatre finally caught up with what he was saying. "Whoa! Wait a minute. You're leaving? With Relena after you? She's already out for your blood and now you've spirited Heero out from under her nose!" Duo's violet eyes pleaded with him desperately. "Quatre, I don't know why but I just have to do this. The situation will only get worse if I don't and I don't want to see Hee-chan die. I've dreamt all my life of him, for what reason, I don't know, but I'm not about to sit by and let him die instead."  
  
Quatre's face softened as he realised that Duo would do whatever it took to keep Heero alive and out of Relena's hands. In his heart he felt Duo's emotions radiating strongly and couldn't fight against something that Duo believed in with all his soul. A smile found its way onto the older teen's face. "Alright, I'll watch him and Trowa will act as lookout for me." Duo's smile was nearly blinding as he glomped on to the blonde. "Thanks." He pulled away and waved to Hilde and Treize. "Okay you guys! We gotta bounce!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
To Duo the train ride felt like it had taken an eternity. With each passing station the braided teen's uneasiness grew. It was all Treize and Hilde could do just to watch him as he stared out the window to the horizon ahead. Night was falling like a star filled blanket over the sky's of the spirit realm by the time the three of them reached swamp bottom. The train slid to a stop at the station and Hilde, Treize and Duo all got out. "Oh man!" Hilde groaned, stretching out her muscles. "I haven't sat down that long in ages, not even while I was a baby." Duo rolled his eyes and started off down the only path. "Is that a bad thing or a good thing?" he asked as they walked. Treize joined in, "For Hilde it is bad, she's hyper and enjoys her work way to much." Duo's eyebrows shot up. "Sounds like me when I get a hold of to much coffee'."  
  
Hilde gave them both a scandalized look and began to pout as a rusty squeaking started up somewhere ahead of them. The two bat-winged bodyguards tensed ever so slightly as a light came bouncing around the bend in the path to stop before them. Duo stared at the lantern that hopped around on its single hand. It bowed awkwardly toward them, a gesture that the three returned. It turned around and began to hop the way it had come. "Well if that isn't an invitation I don't know what is." Duo said and plunged after it. The lanterns lead them along the path toward a small farm. As they reached the gate the Lantern jumped and held on the bar above it, swinging for a moment with a soft squeak.  
  
They entered the yard, looking around and peering into the darkness around them as they made their way toward the building in the center. Duo raised his hand to knock but it swung open before he could so much as touch it. They stood stunned for a moment and Duo peered around the doorframe. "Yo! Zechs? Ya here?" a voice came from behind the door. "Yes now get inside! I'm not about to hold this thing open all night you know." Duo eeped and crossed the threshold Hilde and Treize only just managed to get inside before the blonde man snapped the door shut. Duo looked around the rather small house, spying a woman with short purple hair before he remembered why he was there and rummaged around his pocket for the seal.  
  
Hilde and Treize hovered uncertainly as Duo strode up to Zechs. "Hey, here's the seal. Now can you take the spell off Heero?" Zechs peered down at the small gold block. "Hmm, interesting, I wonder where the spell went, its already been destroyed." Duo looked at him in surprise. "What? It didn't happen to be shaped like a slug did it? 'Cause if it was it's gone now, we flattened it." Zechs looked surprised and sat down a moment before he burst out laughing. "A slug, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No, that was how Relena controlled him; the slug has a little bit of her essence in it that made him do what she wanted at times, but as for my curse... That can only be broken by love, pure and simple young Shi." Duo's mouth was shaped like a little 'O' as he heard this, then he snapped out of it.  
  
"Why does everyone call me that?" Duo demanded, peeved. "So far I've had at least four or five different people call me that, including the river spirit, and not once have they bothered to tell me why." Zechs raised an eyebrow at the sulking teen, and then he leaned over so that only he could hear what he said. "Duo, the answers you seek are all up here." He tapped Duo's forehead with a pale finger. "You know why already, you just have to remember." He pulled away to face the purple haired woman who had walked up to Hilde and Treize and was now dragging them toward a corner with a spinning wheel. "Noin, is that any way to treat guests?" Noin sent him a look of exasperation over her shoulder. "They where just milling around like sheep so they might as well be set to doing something useful." Zechs shook his head and turned away to do his own work, leaving a very confused Duo alone with his thoughts.  
  
Duo moved numbly over to a chair and curled up on it. As he did his hair tie got caught on the edge of a jutting nail and snapped, letting his hair unravel from its braid and fall around him like a curtain. Duo paid it no heed, preferring instead to stare into space as he searched his whirring mind for the answers Zechs said where there but couldn't find anything.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Heero rose slowly through the levels of consciousness, he was unsure of where exactly he was. The spirit could feel blankets around him, the air smelt like coal and mingled herbs. The comforting rumble of the boilers came next and Heero knew he was down with Wufei. But where was Duo? He remembered the braided boy calling out to him when he was in pain and growling when Relena called him. Did Relena catch him? Was he safe? Heero opened his eyes and blinked up at the roof of the boiler room. Everything seemed all right. He caught sight of the dry blood smeared along the walls and wondered 'did I do that?' Heero closed his eyes again and mentally checked for injuries and to his surprise, found none. He remembered the pain and almost dying but then Duo had come and everything had been all right, did he remember?  
  
Prussian eyes opened once more and Heero sat up, letting the blankets fall away and startled Wufei and Quatre by speaking. "What happened? Where's Duo?" At the first word out of his mouth Heero almost winced. He hadn't meant to say the last part. Quatre span around and smiled at him tersely. "Ah! You're awake! We where beginning to worry about you, Duo would kill us if you'd died." Heero stared at him for a moment before her regained a little of his composure. "Where is he?" he asked calmly. Wufei came and sat beside him. "Duo went with Hilde and Treize to return the golden seal that you stole from Zechs in order to get him to lift the curse that was placed on you." Heero concealed his surprise, "He went with Hilde and Treize? But I thought they..." Wufei cut him off. "They've been turned back to their normal forms." Hope burned in Heero's eyes. "Does he remember?" Wufei sighed heavily. "No, they went with him on their own, they insisted on escorting him." Heero's disappointment was evident.  
  
"Ah, would you mind explaining this to me?" Quatre interrupted suddenly, "I'm a little lost here." Heero slid out of the blankets fully and looked down at his torn clothes. "Duo isn't the human he seems to be." He started, pushing himself to his knees. "In his past life Duo was known as Shi, or death, the son of Shinigami. We... you could say we where best friends that turned into something more in the end, until Shi was killed..." He trailed off again. "It all started with Relena. She's been after me since the day she met me and has been watching my every move since. She intercepted Hilde who was running with a message from Duo to me and transformed her into a baby to get the note off her, when she realized it was from Shi she immediately feared our relationship and went off and killed him the same night." Heero's hands clenched, his knuckles turned white and blood seeped from his palm as his nails dug into his skin.  
  
"She had the messed up idea that I loved her and that I just wanted to make her think I was playing hard to get so she eliminated all competition and cast a spell on me to keep me under her control. It did take hold the way she wanted to and I fought to weaken it even while I grieved for Duo. Then after so many years Duo was reborn. I knew his spirit was alive again the moment it entered the human world, but he couldn't remember what happened or what he was. Then finally he came here, something lead him into the spirit world again and I'd hoped that he'd remembered and now he's gone again..."  
  
He trailed off once more, not bothering to hide his expressions from Wufei or Quatre. The blonde put a small hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about Duo, I'm certain he'll remember soon enough, with you around it's only a matter of time." Heero nodded, getting himself under control once more. Quatre had taken his hand away when the door that led to the rest of the bathhouse opened and Trowa slid inside, shutting and baring it behind him. He looked over at Quatre and Heero. "She's coming." He said simply, not bothering to elaborate, he didn't need to. The room's three other occupants understood perfectly what was going on and burst into action.  
  
Heero moved to the door to cheek how for away she was and pulled his head in a second later, a cold, calculating look on his face. He couldn't feel Relena's control anymore and obviously she knew it to or she just would have called. Then he smiled, something totally out of character for the ageless teen. Wufei caught the gleam in his eye and stepped back as he remembered when he had last seen then manic look on Heero's face. "No." He said as he back away further. Heero grinned wider, "Yes." He said in a laughing tone, "Need a distraction so I can find Duo."  
  
Quatre and Trowa were suddenly very afraid as Heero set his insane gaze on them.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Relena tore through the lower levels of the bathhouse as she looked for Heero and Duo. They had escaped from the pit via the lower pipes, as relieved as she was to know that Heero hadn't met his doom, she knew that if that brat Duo had been with him then there was nothing good about them living at all. Not only that but her prisoners had been released and it was all Shi's fault! She couldn't understand how she'd missed something so obvious when he'd first tumbled into her office. He looked identical to what he had in his past life, if anything more beautiful than last time and she hadn't realized it was him.  
  
Growling, Relena descended the stairs to the boiler room. They had to be there, it was the only place in the bath house for them to run, Heero wouldn't live long if they left and Duo couldn't leave with out his voice and that was in her office... The grating noise of a lift starting began from the side and Relena looked around to see the last thing she wanted to see. Shi stood in the lift grinning at her manically, clad in the full robes of his station holding a wicked looking scythe in one hand and another person's hand in the other. Relena glared at him and he laughed at her, something that made her blink in confusion.  
  
Snickering came from behind the black and violet clad figure as another person emerged, someone none other than Heero. His smug smirk sent a chill through the pink witch and she screamed as loud as she could. The walls around her cracked under the sound of her voice but the two in the lift seemed unaffected as they continued upwards into the bathhouse proper. Relena, in a murderous rage, gave chase but couldn't find them anywhere; no matter how hard she looked or how many times she interrogated the staff, including Quatre and Trowa, who had been by the lifts.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Hilde and Treize spent nearly the whole time they where at Zechs' farm, helping his wife, Lucrezia with her spinning and cloth making and where making a pretty decent job of it too. At the moment their host was teaching Hilde how to knit. A task that was almost impossible to the winged Royal Guard. After a while she gave up trying and looked over at Lucrezia to see what she was doing with the thread they'd made earlier. She had it tied to the tiniest of looms and was turning the thin, violet stained thread in a long ribbon with rim's of gold down the side's. "What's that for?" She asked as she got a closer look at it. Lucrezia snipped off a loose thread and quickly finished off the end of the large ribbon.  
  
"It's for his highness." Lucrezia whispered, careful not to let her voice carry to anyone else. "His hair tie snapped and he needs something else, but this will also protect him. You and Treize wove the thread and it now holds you need to protect the boy. It will keep him safe from magic and guide him a little although he will still always need someone to look over him no matter what he thinks." She handed the ribbon to Hilde, "Well what are you waiting for." Lucrezia said louder, making a flapping gesture with her hands to make her move. Hilde grinned and skipped over to where Duo sat and held it under the lost looking teen's nose. Duo blinked as he was shocked out of his thoughts and looked up at Hilde with wide violet eyes to see her grinning face. "Don't think to hard Duo, or you'll blow a brain cell or something." A giggle bubbled to the surface as he discarded his hopeless and depressed mood.  
  
"So what's the ribbon for?" He asked looking at it. Hilde laughed and held it over his nose again. "Its for you, dummy. We made a ribbon for you hair, if you haven't noticed." Duo suddenly became aware of the chestnut curtain and cursed. "Dammit!" He snatched the ribbon out of her hand and pulled his hair behind his head, his nimble fingers expertly twisting the thick strands of hair back to obedience. He tied the new braid off with the ribbon and watched as it began to sparkle softly. He sent a look at Lucrezia who was pointedly not looking at him.  
  
Then the windows began to rattle as a strong wind pounded them from the outside. Zechs looked up and put down his pen on the table. "Ah, he's finally arrived. Duo would you please go and get the door." Duo looked over at him and then padded over to the door, opened it... and froze. There stood the long lithe silver, navy blue and white dragon form of Heero. A wide smile lit Duo's face as he ran outside without so much as glancing back at the people coming into the yard behind him and threw himself at the dragon. Holding onto him as if his life depended on it. "Ah Hee-chan! I'm glad your okay, I was afraid you'd go and die on me." Duo whispered on the edge of tears. The dragon melted away and a human Heero took its place. "Shhh Shi, I'm not about to die yet..."  
  
But even as Heero reassured him Duo was already lost in his memories as they poured into the front of his mind, bringing back images of a different lifetime.  
  
He fell against Heero in a dead faint.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Now this is where I really begin to change the story line from spirited away. I'd say it'll have about two or three more chapters before it's completely finished but for now you'll just have to live with this little cliffhanger.  
  
Hehehehehehehehehehehe  
  
Don't forget to review and a big THANK YOU to all who have already.  
  
Cya ^__^ \/ 


	10. Memory

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 10: Memory.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Heero held tighter to the braided boy even as he fell from consciousness. Hilde cried out in surprise and dashed forward but Zechs restraining hand on her shoulder forced her to stay. They watched as Heero clutched the limp boy to his chest, whispering little nothings as her began to stroke his hair. The force of Duo's returning memories triggering his own.  
  
~~~~~ (I'm only going to highlight the key points, like who Duo's father was and some things to do with Heero... oh yeah and you should know that this Heero will be very much out of character because he hasn't been through loosing Duo yet.)  
  
//Flashback//  
  
A boy with long chestnut hair and violet eyes stood before a black clad specter that sat on a throne of blackened skulls and stone. Beside him in a stand sat a long elegant scythe. "Father!" the teenager called out and ran up the stairs of the dais to throw his arms around death. The clocked man returned the embrace. "Shi..."  
  
~  
  
A slightly older Shi walked beside a small river kicking in stones. He'd escaped the castle and left his bodyguards behind, but now he was bored and he didn't dare go back the death's palace now. He was already in enough trouble as it was. He kicked another stone into the water but was unprepared for what happened after. The head of a small dragon burst out of the river, a red mark made by the impact of the stone displayed on the flesh between its eyes. Shi stared as it surged on to the bank beside him and hissed, becoming a boy his own age with blue eyes and messy chocolate colored hair that flopped into his face. "Why did you throw a stone at me?" He growled, straight to the point. Shi was taken aback. "Sorry, jeeze, you'd think I just committed a crime or something." The boy growled again.  
  
"It hurt dammit!" he snarled and Shi giggled. The boy looked at him, stunned. "What's so funny?" He practically demanded. Shi continued to giggle. "You." He managed to gasp before he was bent double. The river spirit glared and turned to go back to the river, disappearing under the surface. Shi stopped laughing and looked around. "Oh well, suppose he didn't think it was funny." Shi went to sit on a rock and began to fiddle with the long grass beside it when a long jet of water hit him in the side of the head. He spluttered and looked to the river where the beached dragon boy was holding his sides as he laughed. "Now that was funny." Shi agreed as he began to squeeze water out of his braid. The boy stopped laughing and lay on the bank, staring up at the black and violet robed boy on the rock.  
  
"So what's your name?" Shi asked. The boy stared a little longer before answering.  
  
"My name is Heero Yuy. This is my river, so please don't go kicking stones into it anymore." Shi grinned,  
  
"My name is Shi!" Shi chirped. Heero looked like he was thinking deeply for a moment.  
  
"Why are you named death?" he asked. Shi looked thoughtful,  
  
"Well I am death's son, and I'm not supposed to be out here come to think of it." Both boys sent a look at the looming black palace. "Hilde is going to go berserk when she finds out I'm gone."  
  
"...And who's Hilde?" Heero inquired, rather confused, something he didn't like to be.  
  
"Hilde is my bodyguard, she's supposed to be watching me now but I kinda sneaked out of the palace. I'm not supposed to though, my father has a few enemies he wants to keep me from." Heero nodded in understanding.  
  
"The spirit in the big river that mine joins on to once mentioned something about Shinigami." Shi just shrugged.  
  
"Well I'm still within sight of the palace so I doubt anyone could get me around here." Heero raised an eyebrow only to snap his head to the side when he felt someone walking up beside his river.  
  
"Does your Hilde have a white shirt, purple vest, purple hair and a really big sword?" He asked looking at Shi. The braided boy was looking for a place to hide.  
  
"I don't want to go back yet!" He rambled, jumping off his rock. Heero hurried out of the water and grabbed his hand, "I don't want you to go either, you're the first person to talk to me in a long time. Follow me and hold your breath." Heero dragged him to the water and plunged under, letting Shi hold his silver horns as they rushed out into the current. Mid way Heero stopped and they looked back. Hilde walked into view on the bank; her black wing's folded to her back as she looked around. Heero took Shi to where some rocks concealed them from the other bank and Shi took a deep gasping breath as he broke the surface. Heero motioned for him to stay quiet and slipped into the water just as Hilde called out.  
  
"River Spirit!" She was using her 'I'm pissed and if you don't come and speak to me I'll come in there and drag you out' tone. Shi was very glad that he hadn't been found. He peered over the rock gingerly and looked at the scene across the water. Heero's dragonhead popped out of the water.  
  
"River spirit, Prince Shi has gone missing from the palace, have you seen him? He has a long braid and he's still wearing his black and purple robes I think, I hope." Shi got the gist of what she was hinting at. The robes of state he wore would single him out faster than his braid would and he'd be found faster if he were still wearing them. Heero became human and floated on his back, watching her.  
  
"I think he was walking along my river earlier." He said nonchalantly, "But he's not anymore." Hilde growled and looked back toward the palace. Shi silently applauded Heero,  
  
//"Nice, all truth. Couldn't have done better myself."// The boy in the water smirked as Hilde stalked away. Heero swam back to him and smiled as he broke the surface.  
  
"It's surprising what people will do for a friend." He said simply as he sat on the rock beside the sopping wet Shi.  
  
Shi grinned.  
  
~  
  
Shi sat by a window in a room decorated in black and violet rolling a small black pearl back and forward under his fingers while he ignored the purple haired woman standing nearby telling him off for disappearing from the palace.  
  
"Are you listening to me?" Hilde demanded and Shi took his gaze off the sliver snaking river that belonged to Heero and looked at her.  
  
"I was listening." He said wearily. "I made a new friend today." He then added as an afterthought. Hilde raised and eyebrow,  
  
"Who is this new friend?" she asked, surprisingly calm. Shi looked back out the window and down at the river,  
  
"I met him by the river." Shi went on, still giving no clue as to who his new friend was except that he was male. "He said his name was Heero." Hilde was confused as to who Shi could have been talking to, after all she pretty much new everyone in the general area around the castle by sight and name, except for the spirits, they never gave their name to you if they could help it.  
  
"Shi I don't want you to leave the castle anymore. If you go out someone might find you and hurt you." Hilde warned the boy. Shi said nothing as he rolled the black pearl between his fingers.  
  
'Like hell I won't leave! If I don't I wont get to see Heero again.' Shi made up his mind to sneak out once more after all; he had a date to keep.  
  
~  
  
A teenaged Shi sat in his bedroom sulking; Hilde had finally caught him trying to escape the palace after all this time. She'd blocked up the way he'd used to get out and had posted guards to make sure he couldn't get there again. He hadn't let on about Heero, Hilde still didn't know about his friend. Shi had the sneaking suspicion that his father had already guessed about the river spirit and Shi was glad he hadn't told anyone else. Shi looked over at the window then down at the small handful of pearls that where cupped in his palm.  
  
Then his violet eyes shot back to the window as he realized what he'd seen. Heero's dragon form hovered in the air by the window. "Heero!" Shi almost said it to loud in his elation. He dropped the pearls, clasped both hands over his mouth and listened for any noise outside but discovered none. He leapt off his bed and ran to open the window, standing back when Heero flew through. He became human in the center of the room and turned to face Shi.  
  
"Why haven't you come to see me?" He asked looking a little lost. "I waited but you didn't come." They'd become something closer than friends in the years they'd known each other. His blue eyes spoke volumes that his face didn't and it was something that only Shi had learnt to see.  
  
"I couldn't come Hee-chan." Shi rushed over and hugged him, his loose hair swirling around in the breeze from the open window. "Hilde found my secret tunnel and blocked it off, I couldn't find another way to get out." Heero nodded slowly,  
  
"Then maybe I should come here more often." He said finally. Shi looked up into his face and smiled at what he saw there.  
  
"Just as long as you're not caught by Hilde that would be perfect." Heero gave him a small smile and leant down to kiss the smaller teen.  
  
~  
  
Shi lay curled around Heero on his bed staring across the room absently as the river spirit stroked his hair. "Hee-chan, I think you should be careful who you talk to for a while." Shi whispered to the other teen, Heero looked at him strangely.  
  
"What did you see Shi?" He asked, raising the teen's chin to search his violet eyes. Shi was worried,  
  
"I felt something...when the new witch entered the region yesterday I felt this feeling of foreboding, like someone was going to try and take me away from you." He was on the verge of tears, the feeling had been very real.  
  
"So the witch, Relena, will she have something to do with all this?" Shi nodded and buried his face in Heero's bare chest.  
  
"Please be careful Heero, I don't want to loose you." Heero put his arms around his disturbed koi and rocked him in his arms until he fell into an uneasy slumber."  
  
~  
  
Relena watched as her Heero made yet another trip to the princes tower, she knew something was going on and she wanted to know what, especially since she couldn't have Heero if he was going to go after someone else now could she. She was unaware that Shi had seen her; she didn't know that Shi watched her as she watched Heero with possessive eyes. He'd finally gone and asked his father about Heero and the god of death had smiled his all knowing smile nodding as the only answer to the question on Shi's mind, but something lurked behind the smile and as Shi was leaving the throne room he'd heard his father speaking.  
  
"It's a dangerous game you play son, guard your steps." Shi had taken the warning to heart and had begun to use his own magic the next day to watch the witch. He soon found out that she had begun to suspect why Heero visited him, she was going to do something drastic, and soon. Shi finally gave Hilde a letter and sent her to give it to the great river spirit, G, it contained his most precious possession, the silver cross he wore around his neck, a gift from Heero that bound them together. No explanation was needed however for she guessed then and there that Heero must have been a river spirit as well. The river spirit who had had no name.  
  
~  
  
Shi ran through the dark halls of the palace, running away from the witch that had come to his room in Heero's place that night. His robes blended into the darkness to shadowed corners as he stood stock still behind a tapestry listening for the tapping footsteps of the pink banshee blooded girl. Hilde was gone, she'd been attacked on her way back from delivering another message to Heero and was now gone, Treize, his other guard, had been attacked by Relena as she'd run past him in the halls in pursuit of Shi, and Heero? Heero was nowhere to be found, Duo searched, reaching out from mind to mind but he couldn't find him anywhere, Heero was beyond his reach.  
  
"You will die now Prince Shi!" Relena's triumphant voice screeched as she lifted the dagger high over her head. Shi could move for fear as the blade came rushing down, and then as he took his final breath Shi heard A cackling laugh,  
  
"NOW NO ONE WILL HAVE MY HEERO! NO ONE!"  
  
~  
  
Heeheeheeheehee, well that's it for Shi's memories, it's kinda sad though how he died and all that... It's a bit on the short and brief side too but I'm sure it gives you some idea about what happened to Duo and Heero in the past even if it is scattered.  
  
Don't forget to review and look out for the final chapters.  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	11. Get daddy to do it!

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
~~~~~  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Chapter 11: Get daddy to do it!  
  
~~~~~  
  
It had been an hour since Duo had passed out in Heero's arms and the messy haired boy hadn't moved as much as a muscle the whole time. Watching over the braided boy like a frozen statue. Zechs had let Heero put him on a pallet set up by the fireplace instead of letting them stand in the courtyard like they had been. Relena's brother had forgiven Heero for stealing his seal, only on the terms that he keep Duo safe, or he himself would come after the dragon spirit and cause him bodily harm. The comment had earned him a smack in the head from both Hilde and Lucrezia.  
  
Heero began to show the first sign of life out of the two by the fireplace. He moved forward to put his face barely and inch from Duo's as the boy stirred from sleep, hardly seeming to as neither his breathing nor heart rate changed, but Heero knew. He brought up the pale hand he held between his own and held it to his cheek. Then Duo opened his eyes. The violet orbs filled with unexplained tears as he rushed forward and kissed the river spirit with all the emotion he could muster. Heero was surprised for a moment before he allowed himself to kiss him back.  
  
They pulled apart a few minutes later and Duo was smiling through his tears. "I remember Heero!" He whispered so only they could hear. "I remember everything!" Heero returned the smile and kissed him once more before he helped Duo sit up. The braided boy hastily wiped his eyes and stared around the room at its other occupants, all of whom where pretending not to watch. Duo laughed out loud at their poor job of hiding it. "Just turn around already!" he cried out so they could all hear, "Its not like where going to start making out or anything." Hilde swiveled on her toe and shot at Duo. "Please tell me you remember!" She begged him as she glomped onto him. "Please, Please, Please!" Duo pushed her off so she couldn't squeeze the wind out of him.  
  
"Cool it Hilde! I remember so get off me already." The purple haired girl backed off, grinning foolishly. Duo looked down at his priest's outfit and then up at Heero as he spoke. "These clothes just wont do." He murmured and snapped his fingers loudly. He glowed briefly before the violet light gathered and solidified, becoming the same robes he'd worn the day he'd met Heero.  
  
"Its good to have you back, young highness." Treize spoke up as he stepped around the celebrating Hilde. "Your father will be happy to hear that you where resurrected after all these years." Duo's bright expression seemed to become shadowed at the mention of his father.  
  
"He already knows." Duo waved a hand to dismiss the subject and turned to Heero, his face deadly serious. "Will you accompany me to the bathhouse one last time?" He asked. The other occupants of the room all looked at them, wondering why Duo would want to walk into the lair of the beast again so soon after escaping it. Heero had an idea of what Duo was getting at and looked at him worriedly.  
  
"Her power has grown." He cautioned him.  
  
"So has mine." Duo answered back softly, "We can beat her this time Heero, the only reason she got us last time was because we weren't together, this time we will have the advantage over her instead of the other way around." Heero's eyes held uncertainty.  
  
"I only just got you back again Duo. I won't be able to live on any longer if I loose you again." Duo held Heero's prussian blue eyes with his own violet orbs.  
  
"It's a risk we'll have to take Heero." Duo spoke in a tone that told Heero he meant and believed every word he said. "We can't let her fester in jealousy like we did last time, Heero. She'll only grow more powerful the longer she's allowed to feed off it. I don't want her to try and repeat the past." Heero gave him one last worried look before his expression hardened and he looked to the side.  
  
"We'll have her outnumbered this time won't we Hilde, Treize." The pair jumped as Heero spoke directly to them. Treize recovered faster than Hilde did.  
  
"Of course Master Heero." Duo raised an eyebrow at the use of the honorific and Treize suddenly began to explain. "Well, he is your......... So it's only practical that we should call him that since he's almost a royal anyway........." he trailed off as Duo waved a hand at him, a smile twisting his lips. Duo looked at Hilde.  
  
"I'll be there with you your highness, after all I have a bone to pick with Relena and she's not going to look so high and mighty after I'm done with her." Duo's small smile became the tiniest hint wider.  
  
"Well then with that settled we have no reason to stay here." Duo turned to Zechs and Lucrezia. "I really can't thank you enough for helping me." He said with great sincerity.  
  
"Think nothing of it," Zechs waved a hand in the air. "Just be careful when you confront my sister, we wouldn't want our efforts to go to waste." Duo smiled at him then turned back to the others.  
  
"Well I'll see ya later Zechs my man! As for us, we gotta bounce." He led Heero and the bat winged guards out into the yard and watched as Heero became a dragon and bowed low for Duo. Carefully climbing onto the dragon's shoulders Duo waved at the two spirits in the doorway of the cottage before he and his escort took off into the sky.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The sun was rising when Duo slid off Heero's back to the street before the bridge to the bathhouse. Everything was still and peaceful like it had been the day Duo had arrived but the four of them knew that this was not the case. They could sense the tension in the air as the whole bathhouse realized the importance of the upcoming confrontation. Duo and the others didn't have to wait very long for someone to come. Relena stalked out of the front doors, looking pale and sickly. Her wrinkled face twisted with an unholy expression that shifted between rage and jealousy. //Now she really resembles a banshee.// Duo thought idly as she stopped in the center to the wooden bridge. Behind her the serving spirits had all climbed onto the walls that surrounded the gardens and were watching with wide eyes, a few even recognizing Duo for who he really was now that he wore the robes of a prince of Shinigami's realm.  
  
"I knew it!" Relena snarled the moment she was within earshot. "So you where finally reborn." Heero was glaring over Duo's shoulder.  
  
"He wouldn't have had to have been reborn if you hadn't killed him, Miss Relena Peacecraft." His voice held an undertone of something akin to rage that carried across the bridge to the ears of the spirits that had climbed the bathhouse walls. Among them Quatre, Trowa and Wufei watched with baited breath as Heero's formerly secret past became unraveled before them beginning, almost immediately, to contradict the cold and unfeeling spirit they'd all known for so long. Relena however was fuming, the ugly expression on her face twisting to one of pure hatred before it was trained blank.  
  
"But Heero," She started in a sickeningly sweet voice. "You stayed by my side for so long, you must love me if that's the case." Heero made an expression of disgust while Duo spoke aloud for the first time.  
  
"Relena, you are trying my patience." He said in a growl that chilled even Heero, he was using the voice of death. "I know why you killed me and enslaved Heero, you are a sad and pathetic creature, all dried up like a husk of something that could have been great if you hadn't seen fit to become consumed by jealousy. Jealousy of your brother for being the siren, jealousy toward me for having what you could never take." The calm mask Relena had forced herself to use had vanished; the rage was back as she screeched in protest of his words.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING JEALOUS!" Her banshee heritage was shown in full as power crackled to life in her voice, practically oozing with I'll intent. "I WILL KILL YOU JUST FOR MENTIONING IT!" She seemed to teleport before them, the long nails on one hand extending to claws as she pulled back her hand and made ready to slash at Duo, but before she could start the down swing a hand grasped her wrist in a searing grip that burned her flesh. Turning as best she could a sudden feeling of dread washed over her and all her anger drained away as if someone had pulled a plug under her feet.  
  
"Relena Peacecraft, you will not harm my son a second time. You broke your family's contract to me and for that you mast be punished."  
  
A morbid little smile lit up the pale face of Shinigami as the hag began to kick and scream; she shrank and turned older as Shinigami released the sustaining spells on her body. He waved the scythe in his other hand twice, the first time separating a large cluster of gray cords that ran off into the bathhouse and down toward the pig pens. The second wave opened a portal of black smoke behind him. He moved toward it before he stopped and looked back toward where Duo and Heero stood with solemn expressions on their faces. His ancient violet eyes softened as they locked with Duo's. "Welcome back, Shi," He said simply in a more human voice before adding with a sly smile, "and I don't expect to see you again for at least another hundred years......... either of you." He laughed in a scary monotone at the surprised look on his son's face as he dragged the shriveled screaming hag that was Relena back into the darkest reaches of his kingdom.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Heeheeheeheehee. See! If you don't want to do it yourself just get daddy to do it. That's all for this story but there will be an Epilogue when I get around to writing it. I suppose it's kinda pointless to remind you to review now......... so I'll just remind you that there are other stories I've written instead!  
  
(-__-)''' Okay, even I admit that was dumb.........  
  
I'm going to also put up a bit at the bottom of the Epilogue acknowledging all the people who reviewed to this story.  
  
So until next time  
  
Cya ^__^\/ 


	12. Epilogue

Gundam wing A/C / Spirited away crossover  
  
Spirited Away.  
  
Epilogue  
  
Duo put down the last cardboard box in his room and stretched like a cat to get rid of the kink in his back. Once he was done he flopped onto the only square piece of purple carpet that wasn't cluttered with his junk and stared up, unseeing, at the ceiling clutching the cross that hung from his neck. Helen and Solo had woken up on the other side of the river, human again and with no memory of their time in the spirit world. Duo had made sure that they hadn't when he'd left Heero with Hilde and Treize. He'd promised to come to the human world as soon as possible along with the two bodyguards. They where all paranoid that Duo would get himself killed again if they weren't around to keep him out of trouble. The thought brought a smile to Duo's face; over riding the brief pang of loneliness he'd felt when he'd left Heero not so long ago. Even so, after they'd left the ruins of the theme park Helen, Solo and himself had easily found their way out of the forest and up to their house on the hill to find the moving truck waiting for them.  
  
"DUO! Get down here! We have visitors from next door." Duo shook his head to clear it while he stuffed the cross down his shirt and hoisted himself off the floor with a groan, pasting on a smile as he thumped down the stairs, sounding almost like a herd of elephants stampeding. Swinging off the post at the bottom of the banister he strode up to the front door and barely concealed his double take. Treize stood in the entrance hall with a woman that resembled one of Relena's rolling heads by his side. Standing apart from them was a blue haired girl his age who could have only been Hilde and behind her......... "Hey Duo," Solo caught his 'son's' attention. "These are our neighbors, Treize and Midii Kushranada and these two are their kids, Heero and Hilde, Hilde's older by a year." A genuine smile broke over Duo's face as Hilde darted over and took his hand in both of hers, trying to shake it but managing to shake his whole arm as her hyper bouncing jolted him around.  
  
"Hey Duo! It's nice to meet you! My name's Hilde and I'm seventeen and you are soooo going to look cute with my brother!" Heero flushed red-hot while Hilde shamelessly embarrassed him in front of Duo's parents with her excited rambling. Duo laughed at Heero's expression and received a playful glare in return. Very abruptly though he had an idea, grabbing Hilde's arm along with Heero's he began to drag them up the stairs toward his new room.  
  
"Well then if you're going to stick around you're gonna help me with my unpacking!" He grinned as Hilde groaned and laughed as Solo yelled after him not to kill them with the things that grew under his bed from their old house.  
  
"What exactly is the stuff from under your bed?" Hilde asked almost fearfully before she whispered so the adults downstairs wouldn't hear. "Cause if it's anything like the demon farm you grew under you bed back in the palace I don't want to go near it." Duo looked at her with an evil glint in his eyes and a grin that told her it was exactly what she thought it was. Heero and Duo both laughed as the little demons in question jumped from their box against one wall and planted themselves on her head and shoulders. Duo looked back at Heero with a grin that lit up the room and leant over and kissed him once on the lips before he drew away and whispered in the blue-eyed teen's ear.  
  
"I'm glad you're here Heero and I hope you never go anywhere without me ever again." Heero returned the grin with a timid smile, Relena's power was gone but the mental scars of being enslaved by the banshee still remained. Duo remembered that Heero had once been a very bright river spirit under his cold mask; it had been buried within his psyche for centuries but as Duo looked into his eyes now he could see the sparkle returning. Hilde broke that train of thought though with a shriek as one of the pixies refused to let go of her, she ran around waving her arms in panic. The two teen's laughed at her again before they finally moved together to get the little demons off.  
  
Duo looked around at the world around him and smiled at everything he saw. His life was contained in boxes and his new home was far from being the palace of death, but with the presence of the river spirit and Hilde, everything was looking much brighter than before. Although, he didn't know if the two would survive school. The thought made his grin brighter as he pulled a demon away from his disguised bodyguard and put it back in its cage, laughing the whole time.  
  
Shinigami wouldn't see them for a long time yet.  
  
Well that's all for this story, its only the third one I've ever finished, aieeeee! (Although I could say it's a little corny on the ending)  
  
Well just as I said I would I'm going to put a list of all the people who reviewed to this story, /Scratches back of head and mumbles/ You people really are to good to me, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, (who would have guessed it would have taken me this long.)  
  
So thank you for all your reviews!  
  
rikorishodeathangeloflight,  
  
Kitty the Black Ice Cat,  
  
rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike,  
  
Y401-F4N,  
  
Sere,  
  
Banii-chan,  
  
Mandy,  
  
Shini,  
  
Kouhikouryuu,  
  
Relwarc,  
  
Maji,  
  
ArcticTiger,  
  
ChubbyBunny,  
  
Kiken Yuy,  
  
Mayu Kawaii,  
  
And Milla.  
  
Cya / 


End file.
